Wire rope



R. D. GREEN.

WIRE ROPE.

APPLlCATION FILED JAN.8, 1920.-

Patented Feb. 7, 1922.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS ET fiTTS area are.)

mortal) DUA E GREEN, or TE N'roN, NEW ,"rEEsEY, ASSIGNOR, To JOHN A. ROEIBLINGS soNs COMPANY, or TRENTON, NEW JERSE A oo ro OF NEW JERSEY.

WIRE ROPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 8, 1920. Serial No. 350,150.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD DUANE GREEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Trenton, county of Mercer, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in l/Vire Ropes, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a p rtof the same.

Wire ropes for general hoisting purposes,

where sheave work requires considerable flexibility, are generally formed with a fibre core of manila or other suitable fibre and the wire strands are laid up helically on this core.

With particularly heavy duties such as encountered in present day commercial use, the excessive tension, by a concentration of pressure on the fibre strands, orthe like, eventually causes disintegration of the fibre core. hen the fibre core thus ceases to function, the wire strands are supported only by each other. and the result is a tendentry of the strand wires to nick. This nicking not only shortens the life of the rope, but tends to lock the strands, thus restricting strand and wire movement when the rope is used in sheaves, causing the wires to break.

It is the especial object of the present invention to provide a heavy dut wire rope such that the fibre core is given a higher compressive resistance and nicklng of the strand wires is prevented, and an extended -bearing for the rope strands is provided,

thus making possible a wire rope of higher efiiciency and longer life. The invention is applicable generally to wire rope, however, whether desired for light or heavy duty.

l'Vith this general object in view, the invention consists in the combinations, details of construction and arrangement of parts which will first be described in connection with the accompanying drawing and then more particularly pointed out in the claims.

in the drawing Figure 1 is a plan view, with parts broken away, of a wire rope embodying the inven tion.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken through the completed rope; and

Figure 3 is a similar view of a modification.

Referring to the drawing,

vided a fibre core 11 shown as formed of a number of strands laid up helically in the usual manner of a fibre core. This core may be constructed of manila, or any other suitable fibre.

Laid up about the fibre core are a plurality of wire strands 13, each strand preferably consistlng of a plurality of small individual WIIGS. These wires are preferably of high carbon steel and are helically laid up on each other in the usual manner of making wire rope strands. Although six strands of nineteen wires each are shown, it is understood that any other suitable arrangement may be used.

Ropes constructed in accordance with the lnvention will embody a support forthe st-rain-carrying wire strands located between the core and the strands, the function of this strand support being to prevent, as far as possible, the strands from shifting, durmg the use of the rope, from their original position, to a position where they are supported on or by each other. Where the straincarrying strands are wound directly on the fibre core, even though the strands are so disposed, in the first instance, that they are supported substantially out of wearing contact with each other, the heavy strains which these strands carry during use disintegrate the core. This permits a reduction in diameter of the rope and a consequent stretching. This causes the strands to move into such position that they are supported by each other, so that, in subsequent use, wear and nicking result. In what are regarded as the best constructions, this strand support will be so laid upon the core as to place the core under an initial compression, so that the core with the strand support will be substantially incompressible, although the strand support may be deformable. lVhile the construction of this strand support may be varied, in the construction illustrated, it comprises anarrow fiat steel band or fiat wire 12.

This band or flat wire is preferably laid up helically on the fibre core under consider able tension, so that the core is placed an dcr an initial compression. The band or fiat wire 12 is preferably so wound the edges of adjacent convolutions are substan tially contiguous so as to fully enclose the core and hold the lubrication therein. These edges are shown as square but he rounded if desired, and this may be preferable, especially in large ropes, as avoiding all possibility of the edges cutting the core. A half round or similar form of band may be used, with the rounded side next the core, which willtaper off the pressure on the core, and reduce liability to injuring the core in bending over sheaves. 1 or convenience in manufacture, the protecting band 12 may be of several alternating pieces, two being shown in the drawings.

The protecting band 12, here illustrated, is preferably formed of high carbon steel that is hard enough to resist any substantial deformation under pressure of the wire strands. To provide a suitable extended bearing for the wire strands and to aid in preventing nicking of the high carbon steel wires of the rope strands, the invention includes separating bearers for the wire strands. Although capable 'of various constructions, in that shown in Fig. 2, helically laid up on the protected core are a plurality ofwires 14 ofhard steel, and equal in number to the wire strands 13. These are laid .up on the core with the same pitch as the rope strands and so as to lie between them. These wires provide an extended 5 bearing layer for the wire strands that separates the strands from the core protector and from one another.

The invention also includes separatingbearers deformable under the tension of the wire strands. Although capable of various constructions, in that shown in Fig.3, as an example, separating bearers are provided in the form of" wires 15, similar to the wires 14 except that they are formed of soft, an-

nealed steel. These soft wires 15, equal in number to the strands, are also helically laid up on the core with the same pitch as the strands and so as to lie between them. When the wire strands are laid up, the tension exerted deforms the relatively soft wires .15 so as to give a more extended bearing for the strands. This deformation will depend on the tension and the character and shape of the bearers. With round wires, they may be deformed only in some such manner as illustrated in Fig. 3. This deformation isincreased when the complete rope is placed under high tension work, and, of course, will be greaterif softer wires are used. These wires provide a relatively extended bearing for the wire strands.

In either case, that is to say, with either hard bearing Wires or softer, deformable bearing wires, the result is an improved rope. With the constructions described, the pressure of the wire strands is taken up by the supporting band 12 and compressed core 11. This preventsdirect pressure of the strands on the fibre core. The initial pressure given the fiber core in laying up the supporting band flattens out, to a certain extent, the corrugations of the fibre strands, f thus presenting a more cylindrical surface much higher compressive resistance and the life of the rope is prolonged. F urther,-nicking of the wires is prevented, the strands and wire move more freely, better lubrication is made possible, and the rope is more flexible and has a higher efiiciency, that is, a higher percentage of the total strength of the component wires, than the usual fibre center ropes. Although the separating bearers have been shown and described as round -wires, it is to be understood that any other suitable construction may be used.

lVhile the invention has been described in connection with. the usual fibre or rope strand cores, and is especially valuable in suchv use, it will be understood that the invention, considered broadly, is applicable also with other compressible cores, as defined by the claims.

What I claim is- I 1. A'wire rope comprising a core and a. plurality of wire strands which take the strains imposed on the rope during service, a strand support located between the core and strands, said support serving to prevent substantial compression of the combined core and strand support, whereby reduction in diameter and stretch of the rope during use are prevented and wear of the strands on each other is avoided, and separating bearers for the wire strands.

2. A wire rope comprising a fibre core, a. strand support so laid up on the core as to place the same under an initial compression such as to prevent substantial compression of the comblned core and support, a plurality of strain-bearing wire strands laid up spirally on the strand support, and separat-.

ing bearers for the wire strands.

3. A wire rope comprising a fibre core, a;

spirally on the core, a plurality of wire strands laid up spirally on the support, and separating bearers for the wire strands.

5. A'wire rope comprising a compressible core, a plurality 'of wire strands, a metal strand support located between the strands and the core and in contact with the strands, the strand support being deformable under the tension of the wire strands so that a part of its surface enters the interstices between the strands, and separating bearers for the wire strands.

6. A wire rope comprising a compressible core, a strand support, and a plurality of wire strands laid up spirally on the support with relatively soft, deformable bearing wires on the support between the wire strands.

' In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

RICHARD DUANE GREEN 

